Vexed and Perplexed
by Paper Pearls
Summary: Sirius Black is initially furious that Lily Evans has stolen his best friend, but is that all he feels towards Lily? Set during the Marauders Era during 6th year, 7th year and finally during the Potters' time in hiding. Three shot.


**Happy birthday to ladidadidadisituation! I hope that you enjoy this. It is slightly early, but I wanted to make sure that I will have time to post all three chapters in time for your special day.**

****

Sirius Black had used all of his considerable intelligence and wit in an effort to solve the puzzle, but to no avail. What _had_ Evans done to his best friend? This was the question that had plagued him for over a month now. James was acting like a zombie, staring mindlessly at Evans whenever the opportunity arose. Less and less did their pranks revolve around causing mayhem, and more about impressing a certain redhead. The once great marauders had been reduced to an Evans-watching, average quartet. It pained Sirius to think such thoughts about someone who he had, up until recently, deemed too decent to prank, but there was something... _off_ about Lily Evans. But what could it be? There was only one person Sirius was friends with that had an answer for almost every problem.

"Moony?" Sirius kept his tone casual, knowing that it was best to guide Remus towards concepts that he may find shocking with baby steps. With a look that told Sirius the interruption had been expected, and not in a favourable way, Remus turned from his essay.

"Padfoot I can only presume that whatever it is that you are about to ask me is of a direct and unquestionable relevance to transfigurations? I really should have finished this last night, but you and James decided that every single first year toilet absolutely had to be flooded, and so my time quota for shenanigans within this twenty four hour window has been used up." Remus took a deep breath and gave an almost believable impression of calmness. Why he took this stuff so seriously was beyond Sirius- there was commitment and there was taking things too far. From the vantage point that lying sprawled across the couch afforded him, Sirius could see that his friend was well beyond the minimum requirement of two feet of parchment.

"Well, not exactly." Sirius struggled not to sigh in exasperation as he saw his friend's attention return to the essay. He had a sudden moment of inspiration. "I- I need your help with a research project I'm doing for extra credit." He ruffled his hair in a suitably blasé manner. Technically what he had planned was a research project. But technically Slytherins were human beings.

"Really? Padfoot, I didn't expect you to take on board what I'd said, not after all this time, but I'm delighted you finally listened." Remus abandoned his magnum opus of the day and pushed Sirius' feet unceremoniously from the sofa so that he could sit down with him. There was something almost feverish in Remus' eyes as he continued to speak. "Why didn't you tell me about it before now? Oh, never mind that now. I'd be delighted to help you, of course. What subject is it for?" Sirius' heart sank. He hadn't expected Remus to actually believe the story- Moony wasn't Peter, after all.

"Er... charms." Now that he had said it, Sirius knew that it made perfect sense: Evans was excellent at charms. She was Flitwick's little darling, and he was hard pressed not to retch at the thought. But this cool academic facade had to be maintained for the good of the cause. "I'm investigating the duration against the strength of charms cast on a person." He waited for several agonising seconds to see if his lie had been plausible, internally thanking Merlin when Remus grinned broadly.

"That's so advanced... I'm actually a little jealous." A glazed look entered Remus' eyes as he considered the publication of papers, the prizes for contributions to modern magic and all sorts of scholarly scenarios. Sirius brought his palm up to meet his forehead and closed his eyes. This had snowballed out of recognisable proportions. It was a disaster. The familiar look on Remus' face, the one that he knew meant his friend was considering the various career opportunities denied to werewolves, gave Sirius the resolve he needed to set things straight.

"Actually Moony... it isn't an official project at all. It's more about Evans." Shifting sheepishly, Sirius watched as Remus rolled his eyes and stood.

"I might have known. Tell me, Padfoot, what diabolical plot has Lily concocted now?" It was rare for Remus to be short with anyone, and in his fervour Sirius failed to notice that his friend's words were coated thickly with sarcasm.

"I'm glad you see it too! It isn't natural, Moony; Prongs doesn't talk about anything except Evans, Evans, Evans!" Sirius gesticulated theatrically every time he repeated the girl's surname. "It's not normal."

"Ah, that is where I must disagree with you my friend. If James can talk about quidditch and schoolboy pranks all day, why can't he harp on about a nice girl? The only difference is that you can't join in with this one, Sirius. It may vex you, and it may very well perplex you, but-" Remus paused mid-flow, an unreadable frown passing over his face. It was almost unheard of for Remus to leave a lecture unfinished, but he did exactly that, returning to the desk he had occupied and muttering furiously to himself. "No, no. I refuse to involve myself in this... this mess."

"What mess, Moony?" Sirius moved to kneel beside his friend. "What are you on about?"

"Nothing at all, now if you'll excuse me I have a lot of work to be getting on with." Remus had never been an adept liar, and his tone was slightly too jovial for Sirius to be convinced. It was a demonstration of Remus' unrivalled self control that he continued to write, not caving in and explaining what was _really _on his mind. This frustrated Sirius endlessly as his friend had almost certainly been right; Evans _did_ vex and perplex him, but Sirius didn't know what was so special about her. He couldn't understand why James focussed so much on her. Was it the way her arched eyebrows knitted together slightly when she was concentrating, or the way her perpetually rosy mouth pursed when she was annoyed? And what made the way her skin was so pale appealing to James? Remus clearly understood the root of the mystery, but wasn't going to share it.

Casting a final glance back at the most studious marauder, Sirius made his way out of the portrait hole and through the halls of Hogwarts. It was too nice a day to be stuck inside 'studying' with Remus. He shot a wink at Alice Longbottom, the wink that he and James termed 'roguish' (the 'debonair' wink was reserved for older women). She was a shy, pretty Hufflepuff in the same year, and the way she flushed improved his mood drastically. He ignored the female mixture of whispers and giggles with practiced ease, feigning indifference when really it made him want to punch the air. Turning on the old Black charm never failed to make him feel better.

Knowing just how glorious an Adonis he would make going from the shadowy entrance hall into the bright May sunshine, Sirius flicked his hair just as he made the transition and knew that several pairs of female eyes were upon him. The sighs from nearby clusters of girls were like music to his ears. Sirius strutted down the steps, his feet automatically heading to the place he and his friends had claimed as theirs. Much to his delight, James was sitting in their usual haunt beneath an oak tree, perfectly alone, Evans nowhere in sight.

"Prongs! Where the hell were you all morning? We told Moony that we'd revise with him." Sirius dropped beside his closest friend with casual elegance, enjoying the gentle breeze that caused the canopy of leaves to rustle above their heads.

"Oh, well Evans asked me to sit with her on my way back from quidditch practice." James arranged his fringe, oblivious to the anger welling up inside Sirius.

"I see. And what about your friends? You stood up Moony." _And me_, Sirius added mentally.

"What about you guys? You told me that whenever I saw an opportunity to make Evans see what a nice guy I am I should take it."

"That was before you were going out, when you still needed to make a good impression. Slughorn was out of his office for _two whole hours_ and we did nothing, James. We only have about a month left before Summer and we _still_ need to do something to keep people talking." Sirius shook his head in disgust, flicking at a butterfly that landed on his arm.

"I thought we were supposed to be studying with Moony, not doing something to Slughorn." James raised an eyebrow in a way that let Sirius know he had been caught out. "What's wrong now Padfoot?"

"It always has to be about Evans! We never spend time together anymore and it's all her fault." Sirius looked away, embarrassed by what he had revealed. But this had happened on several occasions now and was becoming increasingly common, which hurt. "I don't get it, Prongs."

"No wonder I spend more time with Evans than you. At least she doesn't get jealous." James stood, frowning down at Sirius. _Why couldn't James understand?_

"Jealous? Me? Sirius Black jealous of that- that...." As Sirius grappled with his vocabulary in an attempt to think of a fitting insult, the subject of their heated conversation appeared behind his best friend and placed a hand upon his back. "Evans." Sirius finished with a weak smile.

"Hello Black. Is there a problem?" She appeared to be genuinely concerned, and Sirius was almost taken in by the inflection in her voice. Almost. He couldn't blame James for being suckered in if she was this good an actress.

"Yeah, actually there is: you." Sirius sneered at the woman who had stolen his best friend before taking leave of them both, storming back towards the castle. Behind him he heard a hurt gasp from Evans, but it didn't bring Sirius the satisfaction he would have expected. He had only wanted to make things better with James, yet he had only made the problem worse. And put Evans in the right. Sirius groaned. It was going to be a long day.

****

Sirius sat in the most comfortable armchair by the fire not taking in a single one of the words he was reading. Since he had been spending time exclusively with Remus and Peter, things had become a lot more focussed on study as opposed to fun. Perhaps it was his imagine, but it seemed that Remus was having them study more than ever before. He looked over at a group of third years, an aura of conspiracy about them that only his experience as a prankster allowed him to pick up on. Maybe the marauders were to be eclipsed by the little pipsqueaks.

This melancholy speculation was interrupted as the portrait swung open to reveal James, holding hands with Evans and laughing hysterically at something she had said. James only laughed like that when Sirius made a quip or Snivellus experienced some kind of misfortune that was, of course, in no way related to either of them. Despite her success Evans didn't look too happy, smiling weakly.

For a moment her eyes met Sirius', and he felt the strangest stirring when he saw how much sadness was contained in her over-bright eyes. She had probably discovered a non-verbal charm for causing nausea. Then the moment passed and she whispered something into James' ear before climbing the stairs to the girls' dormitory with a spectacular tossing on her red hair.

"Tell him that you miss him." If he didn't know Remus so well, Sirius wouldn't have thought that his friend had spoken so immersed was he in the musty textbook he was hunched over.

"Miss what, being ditched for Evans? Not me." Sirius knew that he missed James, but even if he did make amends then Lily would continue to come between them. Remus sighed in a way that Sirius knew meant he thought he knew better.

"Me neither, right Sirius?" Peter looked at him, eager for approval, but he just wasn't in the mood.

"Shut up, Wormtail." Sirius lifted his book and continued the pretence of reading, not wanting to have to look at James again. They hadn't spoken in a week and every time Sirius saw him, James was deeply involved in something or other with Evans, always laughing and always happy despite the rift growing between them.

****

Sirius sat on one side of Remus, James on the other. Peter was not taking NEWT level transfigurations. If Professor McGonagall noticed the change in seating arrangement, which she almost certainly did, she refrained from passing comment upon it and started teaching the lesson. It was most likely no more boring than any other lesson, but Sirius couldn't focus with Evans sitting at the front and brushing her white feather quill against the side of her face. She made him too furious to think straight.

"Mr Black, would you care to tell me what, precisely, is so interesting?" Professor McGonagall stood on the dais, one hand on an angular hip, the other directing her want towards the elaborate grandfather clock she had created from a wrist watch. Sirius thought fast.

"I was just thinking to myself about how particularly good you're looking today, Professor." Sirius managed to catch himself before giving the routine look over to James, the muffled laughter meaning little without witnessing the reaction of his perpetual partner in crime. It was the glance they shared in lieu of the high five or any other celebratory gesture when inside a classroom. For all he knew James may well have been amused, but Professor McGonagall most certainly wasn't.

"That is utterly inappropriate conduct, Mr Black, and I will not tolerate it within my classroom." A flush graced her cheeks, but Sirius knew it was the result over anger rather than the usual pleasure caused by one of his compliments.

"Yes Professor. I'm sorry." Carrying on just wasn't the same without James to join in with it. Nothing was. Minerva McGonagall's glare softened slightly, her sharp mind working quickly.

"Very well, I shall not take points on this occasion considering the marked improvement in your behaviour during the past fortnight, but I would like to speak with you after the lesson." She turned her back to write on the blackboard, leaving Sirius to ponder over how ominous her words were. The lesson passed with alarming speed due to the growing dread Sirius experienced, and before he could have imagined possible the bell had sounded. He packed up with deliberate slowness, trying not to look at Evans as she passed him in the aisle. Even the scent of her perfume drifting behind her made him feel out of sorts. Roses. He stuck out his tongue in a puerile gesture of disgust, causing Remus to look at him strangely.

"I know it may be difficult for you Mr Lupin, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave Mr Black behind. If Potter managed it then so can you." Remus gave an apologetic shrug and left the classroom. Ordinarily Sirius was fond of his head of house, but her last comment made him want to hex her. "You're looking particularly sullen today, Sirius. Is it a new tactic for attracting women?" Her quip didn't provoke the smile she had hoped for.

"Nope, I'm just a bit miffed because I don't want to be here." Sirius kicked his chair into place and shouldered his bag, heading towards the door.

"Get back here at once." Her voice was cold, and if it was anyone else Sirius would have kept on walking. But it wasn't anyone else; it was McGonagall who always did her best for her students. Maybe she felt this awful at times, but it didn't change her demeanour one bit. Obediently Sirius dropped into the chair she had conjured in front of her desk.

"I'm sorry." Sirius didn't look up at her, too tired to deal with the infamous wrath of Professor McGonagall. She gave a sigh that sounded almost as worn out as he felt.

"What's the matter Sirius? You and Potter haven't done anything other than work in my classroom for two weeks now. At first I was thankful, because I took it as a sign that you'd matured, but it seems that in all of your classes you've both been... quiet- too quiet for my liking." Professor McGonagall looked at him expectantly, and when Sirius didn't speak she massaged her greying temples. "You're not planning some grand finale to the year with Potter, are you? You won't blow up the school or make some other breach of as many rules as possible?"

"Blow up the school? Thanks Professor, I hadn't thought of that one. But if it does happen then I'll be doing it alone, unless you want to join in?"

"Perhaps not, Mr Black, as much as it pains me to turn down your most generous offer." Sirius couldn't help but smile briefly. Her dry wit was impossible not to appreciate. "Please don't think for one second that I would ever condone such an action, but would Potter not be a better cohort?"

"Pr- James is.... otherwise engaged." Professor McGonagall gestured for him to continue. "There's a permanent sticking charm on his mouth and Evans', so I don't think it would be convenient for him."

"Interesting," Her tone was neutral, for which Sirius was thankful, "but isn't there a time at which Miss Evans could... release Potter?"

"Even if she did he wouldn't leave her for a second. She's all that matters to James now. What's so amazing about Evans anyway? So what if she smells like roses? It doesn't mean that she should be considered for a chocolate frog card. And just because she holds her quill like this," Sirius mimicked the pose, an insipid look on his face, "doesn't mean that she deserves an Order of Merlin."

"I see." And she was shrewd enough that Sirius knew she did, in exactly the same enigmatic way Remus understood.

"What is it then?" Sirius looked at his professor with more eagerness than he had in almost six years under her tutelage. There was a twitch at the corner of her mouth that told Sirius she was trying her best not to smile- how could it possibly be funny?

"You ought to work it out by yourself, I think. Why not talk to Miss Evans about how you feel. And an apology for your behaviour towards her may be in order as well." How did she know everything? Maybe McGonagall had a spy network.

"She _stole_ my best friend." The indignant look on his face had no affect on Professor McGonagall.

"Then steal him back. Beat Miss Evans at her own game." Sirius was sorely tempted to grasp his professor and kiss her to express his gratitude. She believed him! "Good afternoon Mr Black. I trust you'll consider what I've said."

"Yes Ma'am." He stood, eager to begin the new phase of the plan. "And Professor?" She looked up from her paperwork. "You _do_ look fierce today." Sirius raced from the room before she had time to formulate a response, and as he closed the heavy oaken door behind him he could have sworn that he heard laughter.

****

Lazing on his four poster bed, Sirius regaled Remus and Peter with every detail of his conversation with their head of house. He would try not to rub it in Remus' face that Professor McGonagall, his role model in all things, believed him.

"And so, my dear Moony, she agrees with me that Evans is up to something." Finishing his tale with a theatrical yawn, Sirius surveyed the reactions to it. Peter, as always, had listened with zeal, making all the right noises. But Remus had seemed unfazed by the whole thing.

"Alright Padfoot, I admit it. You may well be right about her." This was the best fun he had had since... the very thought of James had Sirius needing to hear it again.

"Sorry Moony, I didn't quite catch that."

"You could be right." Remus didn't look the slightest bit bothered by the concession. It really wasn't as good when the other person tried the 'bigger person' act, but it was better than nothing. And having Remus saying such a thing was so uncommon that it was sweet in its own right. He had decided to be magnanimous in victory when the person he least wanted to see poked her head around the corner of the door.

"Hi guys, I'm not interrupting anything important, am I?" Lily Evans shuffled awkwardly in the doorway. She was casually dressed in a pair of jeans and a form fitting black t-shirt. As he noticed her attire, the swooping feeling in Sirius' stomach returned, which soured his mood.

"Not at all Lily, please come in." Remus smiled reassuringly at her, reminding Sirius with that commanding look of his that he was going to try and be nice to the girl. Where would he be without Remus' guidance?

"Actually I was wondering if I could speak to Sirius. In private." She smiled in that infuriatingly cutesy way of hers, toying with a wisp of hair that had escaped her pony tail. Yes, Evans made his blood boil.

"Certainly- come on Peter." Remus bundled a weakly protesting Peter out of the door, leaving the two of them alone.

"I only want to talk if you don't mind."

"Why would I mind, Evans? Actually, I've been hoping to speak to you too. I'm sorry I acted like such a prat the other week. It was uncalled for." Sirius watched as her eyes widened in surprise before she recovered herself sat on the nearest bed.

"It's fine, Sirius. I didn't come here about that, I came about James." She folded her arms and took a deep breath. "I'm worried about him."

"Why would you be worried? He's having the time of his life with you." As hard as he tried, Sirius couldn't keep the edge of bitterness from creeping into his voice.

"No he isn't." To Sirius' horror, tears started spilling from Evans' eyes. "He's miserable. He doesn't do anything but think about how much he wants to spend time with you. He doesn't enjoy himself with me but he's too stubborn to admit it. Every time he sees you James has to show you how much fun he's having without you, but he isn't."

Never in his life had Sirius been in a situation that required him to deal with a crying woman. Once her sobs had stopped Evans from being able to speak, he decided that he should probably comfort her. It was strange that when his adversary was showing such weakness he wanted her to smile again, but Sirius didn't question it as he sat beside Evans.

"Don't cry... Lily. I don't want you to be sad." And it was true. Sirius wiped away her tears with his thumbs and couldn't help but notice how soft her skin felt. When she had finally stopped crying, Sirius wrapped his arms around her and was surprised when Evans returned the embrace. Her hair tickled his arm. She still smelled of roses, but the scent was no longer offensive.

"I hadn't meant to come between you and James." Evans looked up at him in earnest, her emerald eyes shimmering. Maybe she wasn't lying. "I care about him so much, and I just want him to be happy."

"Yeah... I see that now." Sirius couldn't help but feel bad that he had misjudged her.

"Will you talk to him, then?" The hopefulness in her expression made his heart clench.

"I don't think he'll listen to me, Lily. Not now." Not so long ago it would have pained Sirius to admit anything of the sort to Lily Evans more than anyone, but it couldn't hurt considering her own admissions.

"Of course he will. Practice will be just about finished now, and if you wait here I'll keep the other sixth year boys out so that you can talk." She wiped her cheeks and stood.

"Fast thinking, Lily! Alright, I'll give it a go."

"Thank you." She swooped in and kissed his cheek, leaving Sirius enveloped in a haze of roses. He rubbed the skin that had come into contact with Lily Evans' mouth and blinked owlishly. Evans wasn't so bad after all- she obviously did have serious feelings for his James. It was brave of her to come and see him like that too. He moved over to his own bed and waited.

After what seemed like a lifetime, James Potter sauntered into the boys' dormitory with his broom over his shoulder and froze as he caught sight of his best friend. They had avoided each other by an unspoken agreement ever since they had fallen out, and they were face to face for the first time since it had happened.

"Uh... Prongs, I'm sorry for how I've been about Evans." The silence was oppressive and James' face, for the first time in years, was unreadable.

"I'm sorry that I forgot how important being friends with you really is. I won't take you for granted again." James shifted his weight from one foot to the other, mussing his hair in a way that denoted stress as opposed to vanity. He stuck out his hand. Momentarily confused, Sirius remained seated.

"A handshake, Prongs?" Springing from the bed, Sirius advanced.

"Yes."

"No Prongs, that isn't how it works." Without ceremony Sirius engulfed his closest friend in the tightest possible hug he could manage. James squeezed tightly too before letting go.

"I thought the handshake was a bit manlier, but that was good Padfoot." James teased a little, at ease again.

"There is nothing manlier than two men hugging." Sirius managed to keep a straight face through use of his iron will.

"Yes there is; two women hugging." As their jokes went it was a weak one, but both were happy to laugh at it nevertheless, enjoying being reunited. They laughed until tears streamed down their faces and their sides ached from it. Lying in a crumpled heap on the dormitory floor, Sirius knew that things were better than they had been in a long time.

****

After the hurdle of gaining Sirius' approval, Lily Evans found herself welcome to spend time with the marauders, although it was never suggested by either side that she participate in any kind of rule breaking. The boys appreciated her company; James enjoyed having a meaningful relationship, Remus was pleased about having someone to study with, Peter liked that she never made fun of him, and Sirius only knew that she wasn't a bad addition to the group.

The end of term was only a matter of days away, and so even the more conscientious Remus was happy to spend his time lazing around on the expansive Hogwarts grounds. There was something inherently natural about the feel of the summer sun against skin. Sirius couldn't help but notice that Evans had tanned slightly, freckles dotted across her usually pale skin. It suited her. The group watched with varying degrees of interests as the group of third years who were quickly establishing a name for themselves as trouble makers dashed away from the lake.

"What is it that they dropped in there?" From this distance none of them could see what the mysterious object had been, but Lily was the only one not proud enough to refrain from asking Remus, who had sharper senses than almost anyone due to his lycanthropy.

"Some sort of potion, I think, several bottles of it. I couldn't catch the specifics of the scent of it from here, but it seemed to be a high concentration." Remus coughed, made uncomfortable by his differences being brought to the attention of his friends. In a rare display of sensitivity, Sirius decided to distract them.

"So Lily, you've been on the receiving end of the kudos due to a marauder, but don't you think it's time you had a formal initiation prank?" Sirius watched bewildered as Lily, James and Remus shared a glance. "What?"

"Yeah, what?" Peter echoed Sirius, as was his habit, but they ignored him.

"I've already pulled off one of the greatest pranks of this year." Lily flashed him a smile, displaying her perfect white teeth. "I managed to hoodwink one fourth of arguably the most effective unit of mischief makers in Hogwarts history; _the_ Sirius Black, Padfoot himself."

"What did you do?!"

"I heard all about my supposed use of charms on James here, and my Machiavellian scheming, so I decided to use it in my favour. I asked McGonagall to go along with it and agree that I was bad, and I asked Remus to get you to do loads of studying in case it would make you crack and talk to James again. That didn't work so I decided a heart to heart was in order- I didn't plan on crying, though, or telling you so much. You were very sweet about the whole thing. Anyway, I told the sixth year boys not to come back all afternoon before I came to find you, and in the end it worked. My boyfriend has his boyfriend back." Lily flipped her hair in a parody of Sirius' own trademark action, causing James to rock with mirth. He didn't mind so much when Evans did that anymore, because usually he could see the humour in what she said. Not this time though. Sirius looked towards Remus for confirmation.

"It's all true. She duped you to get you and James back together." Remus, to his credit, managed not to allow his own amusement to show. Peter guffawed belatedly, only just understanding.

It was as though the landscape of his world had shifted. Sirius stood, a pensive look upon his face, not noticing as the laughter died away.

"Padfoot?" He ignored James and strode towards the lake.

"Sirius? Sirius, wait." The light, speedy footsteps told him that Evans was following. A plan took shape beautifully in that moment. He turned to face her, giving what he knew to be a stunning smile.

"Lily Evans, I've never been more proud of you in my life." Sirius reached out and pumped her hand up and down with vigour. "And I thank you for being so well intentioned. But you do realise that this makes you fair game?" His smile took on a predatory edge and she attempted to withdraw her small hand, but Sirius didn't let go.

"Fair game for what, Sirius? It was all done in good humour." Her sculpted facial features belied nervousness.

"Fair game for this!" He scooped up Lily in his arms and dashed along the pier, tossing her slight form into the thick sea of bubbles now covering the lake as far as the horizon. With a satisfied smile, Sirius watched as Lily surface and gasped for breath, her hair plastered to her skin. "Now we're even." He dodged as she attempted to splash him with water. "You need to get up earlier than that to surprise Sirius Black!" A firm pair of hands pushed into his back, sending Sirius toppling in beside Lily. He tried not to look at her long legs treading water before he too rose above the surface.

"Was that early enough, Padfoot?" James laughed as Sirius blew the water from his mouth. "She's my girlfriend, and I have to defend her honour."

"James, will you help me out?" Lily winked at Sirius as she swam past him and over to the wooden ledge of the pier. Surely not.

"Why certainly, my fair damsel in distress." James crouched and with a flourish extended his hand. With all of her strength Lily yanked her boyfriend into the water, throwing a scoop of bubbles at his head when he appeared beside them. "Hey, what was that for?"

"I don't need a man to help me, thank you very much James." They all laughed so much that it was a struggle to remain afloat.

"Don't you three think that this is rather foolish? Professor Dumbledore will probably be on his way down here already," Remus looked concerned at the prospect, "And if not him then Professor McGonagall."

"You're absolutely right there Moony. Good call. Everybody out." Sirius swam towards the pier and heaved himself out in a way that he knew looked effortless. His hair would be glistening and groups of girls were staring. Following his lead, Lily clambered up onto the wooden platform, leaving James alone in the water.

"What are you two doing? Who cares what Dumbledore and McGonagall say; this is like a giant bubble bath!" James was unable to comprehend why the only person more rebellious than he was had decided to act so responsibly. Knowing that his well defined torso would attract female attention, Sirius dispensed of his jeans and t-shirt. Lily shrugged her bird-like shoulders and placed a hand on Remus' shoulder.

"I giant and _wrong_ bubble bath, James." In what would, to someone naive of his ways, look like a gesture of support, Sirius clapped Remus on the back. At the same time Lily pushed and he too flew into the water. Sirius performed an impressive canon ball and jumped into the water, leaving Lily to coax Peter in.

"But what if I drown?"

"There are charms on the lake to prevent that kind of accident from happening, Peter." Sirius sniggered, knowing full well that she was lying. After several minutes of shouting encouragements towards their timid friend, all four marauders plus Lily Evans were in the lake, but the volume of the exchange had attracted a lot of attention. The third years who had caused the bubbles were the first to join them, playing something that looked like water tag. Then, slowly but surely, the remaining students joined them in the water. Perhaps it hadn't been their prank, but Sirius knew it was a brilliant way to end a term.

****

**Thanks for reading. Please review.**


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